1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus and a data processing method which perform 3D graphic processing using texture data and also perform sound processing using wave table data.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, personal computers have been developed which are capable of not only performing text inputting and computation but also performing image processing called 3D graphics and sound processing. The 3D graphics comprises inputting a geometry described by triangular polygons, and processing the geometry using parameters such as view point and lighting to generate a three-dimensional image. The sound processing comprises storing in a memory waveform data obtained by sampling various effect sounds, as wave table data, reading out data from the memory in required timing, and subjecting the readout data to pitch conversion, etc. to obtain desired musical tone data. Such graphic processing and sound processing are useful in representing effects with high presence in fields of amusement such as game machines.
In personal computers provided with functions of such graphic processing and sound processing, the graphic processing and the sound processing are generally carried out separately or independently of each other, since they use respectively image data and musical tone data which are different in nature.
FIG. 1 shows the essential parts of a conventional personal computer related to graphic processing and sound processing. This personal computer is mainly comprised of a CPU that produces image control data Dgc and musical tone control data Dsc, a graphic processing system A, a sound processing system B, and a PCI bus connecting between these components. The graphic control system A is integrated on a piece of circuit board called xe2x80x9cvideo cardxe2x80x9d, and the sound processing system B is integrated on a piece of circuit board called xe2x80x9csound cardxe2x80x9d. These circuit boards can be mounted into a personal computer by inserting them into expansion slots, like PC cards in general.
In the illustrated example, the image control data Dgc is comprised of polygon data Dp and texture data Dt. The polygon data Dp represents vertex coordinates indicative of three-dimensional triangles and texture addresses corresponding to the respective vertices or apexes, and the texture data Dt represents bit patterns used for drawing the inside of polygons. The musical tone control data Dsc is comprised of wave table data Dw corresponding to various tone colors obtained by sampling various waveforms and sounding control data Dh.
When the image control data Dgc is delivered from the CPU 1 to the graphic processing system A via the PCI bus 2, it is delivered through a PCI bus interface 21 to be once stored in a 3D graphic temporary buffer 22. Then, the texture data Dt is read out from the 3D graphic temporary buffer 22 and stored in a texture memory 23. The texture data Dt is read out from the texture memory 23 and delivered to a 3D graphic engine 24, according to necessity. The 3D graphic engine 24 performs mapping processing of drawing the inside of a polygon, based on the polygon data Dp and the texture data Dt to produce image data Dg. The produced image data Dg is stored in a frame memory 25. Then, the image data Dg is read out from the frame memory 25 and converted to an analog signal by a RAMDAC 26 to be delivered to a display device, not shown.
On the other hand, when the musical tone control data Dsc is delivered from the CPU 1 to the sound processing system B via the PCI bus 2, it is delivered through a PCI bus interface 31 and once stored in a sound temporary buffer 32. Then, the wave table data Dw is read out from the sound temporary buffer 32 and stored in a WT data memory 33. A WT engine 34 reads out a portion of the wave table data Dw corresponding to a tone color designated by the sounding control data Dh and subjects the readout wave table data Dw to pitch conversion based upon a pitch designated by the sounding control data Dh to produce musical tone data Ds upon receiving the same. An effect processing section 35 causes an effect delay memory 36 to store the musical tone data Ds upon receiving the same, to thereby generate the musical tone data Ds with delay. Based upon the generated musical tone data Ds, effect processing on a time axis such as echo imparting is executed. The musical tone data Ds subjected to effect processing is converted to an analog signal by a DAC 37, which is delivered as a musical tone signal to a sounding device, not shown.
As described above, in the conventional personal computer, the graphic processing system A for generating the image data Dg and the sound processing system B for generating the musical tone data Ds are provided separately to operate independently of each other.
Arithmetic operation carried out by the graphic processing system A and arithmetic operation carried out by the sound processing system B are identical with each other in that they process original data (texture data Dt and wave table data Dw) read out from a memory.
In the conventional personal computer, however, the graphic processing and the sound processing are carried out by separate systems, leading to a complicated construction and increased circuit and system sizes.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus and a data processing method which perform graphic processing and sound processing using a common processing system to thereby largely reduce the circuit and system sizes.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a data processing apparatus comprising a supply device that supplies original waveform data based upon which musical tone data are to be generated, and sounding control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original waveform data and pitch information indicative of pitches of the musical tone data, and supplies original image data based upon which image data are to be generated, and picture control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original image data and coordinate information indicative of coordinates of the image data on a display screen, and an arithmetic processing device that performs arithmetic processing comprising interpolation processing or thinning processing, the arithmetic processing device being operable upon receiving the sounding control data from the supply device, for carrying out a first generating process for generating the musical tone data, by subjecting the original waveform data designated by the kind information of the sounding control data to the arithmetic processing according to the pitch information of the sounding control data, the arithmetic processing device being operable upon receiving the picture control data from the supply device, for carrying out a second generating process for generating the image data, by subjecting the original image data designated by the kind information of the picture control data to the arithmetic processing according to the coordinate information of the picture control data.
Preferably, the data processing apparatus includes a storage device that stores the original waveform data and the original image data, the arithmetic processing device reading out from the storage device the original waveform data based upon the pitch information of the sounding control data upon receiving the sounding control data, and reading out from the storage device the original image data based upon the coordinate information of the picture control data upon receiving the picture control data.
More preferably, when the image data to be generated is not completely generated by the termination of the each of the time slots, an immediately preceding value of the image data generated is used as a value of a remainder of the image data applied in the each of the time slots.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a data processing method comprising the steps of supplying original waveform data based upon which musical tone data are to be generated, and sounding control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original waveform data and pitch information indicative of pitches of the musical tone data to an arithmetic processing device, and supplying original image data based upon which image data are to be generated, and picture control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original image data and coordinate information indicative of coordinates of the image data on a display screen to the arithmetic processing device, and causing the arithmetic processing device, upon receiving the sounding control data, to carry out a first generating process for generating the musical tone data, by subjecting the original waveform data designated by the kind information of the sounding control data to arithmetic processing comprising interpolation processing or thinning processing according to the pitch information of the sounding control data, and causing the arithmetic processing device, upon receiving the picture control data, to carry out a second generating process for generating the image data, by subjecting the original image data designated by the kind information of the picture control data to the arithmetic processing according to the coordinate information of the picture control data.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a data processing method comprising the steps of supplying original waveform data based upon which musical tone data are to be generated, and sounding control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original waveform data, pitch information indicative of pitches of the musical tone data, and volume information indicative of volume of the musical tone data to an arithmetic processing device, and supplying original image data based upon which image data are to be generated, and picture control data containing kind information indicative of kinds of the original image data, coordinate information indicative of coordinates of the image data on a display screen, and transparency information indicative of transparency of the image data to the arithmetic processing device, and causing the arithmetic processing device, upon receiving the sounding control data, to carry out a first generating process for generating the musical tone data, by subjecting the original waveform data designated by the kind information of the sounding control data to arithmetic processing comprising interpolation processing or thinning processing according to the pitch information of the sounding control data, and then executing synthetic processing by synthesizing data obtained by the arithmetic processing according to the volume information of the sounding control data, and causing the arithmetic processing device, upon receiving the picture control data, to carry out a second generating process for generating the image data, by subjecting the original image data designated by the kind information of the picture control data to the arithmetic processing according to the coordinate information of the picture control data, and then executing the synthetic processing by synthesizing data obtained by the arithmetic processing according to the transparency information of the picture control data.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.